Oh, Tacos....I Can't Quit You

I have a very bad habit when I plan meals of deciding what I want to make first, and then checking the pantry and freezer to see if I have the things to make it.  I also have a bad habit of picking up packages of meat at the grocery store that say "Price Cut Now!" because they're about to go past their sell-by date.  Then I wrap them up and freeze them to use later.  Very rarely do I go to my favorite grocery store and not come home with several packages of meat I wasn't planning to buy.  I cannot pass up a cheap brisket, y'all.  I can buy these things with impunity because I have TWO giant chest freezers to store it all in.  (One I inherited from the previous owners of my house; I didn't purchase them both.  I'm not *that* crazy.)  But the freezers are filling up, so this week I was determined to check the freezer for some kind of meat to use first, and then decide what to cook.  I made my selection, a couple packages of stew meat.  Now, what to cook....

Problem was, I was already thinking about tacos.  There are certain food items that, once I've got a hankering for them, I can't think of ANYTHING ELSE until I get them.  Stew meat isn't necessarily screaming out to be made into tacos, but the thought was already in my head.  So here's how the recipe selection conversation went in my head:

I could make the obvious beef stew.  Dad really likes that.  Doesn't sound that great to me, though.

Tacos.

Or maybe goulash.  Haven't had that in a while.

Tacos.

<Searches internet for "stew meat recipes that aren't stew.">

Gurl.  Tacos, dammit.

Beef stroganoff?  I could do that in the instant pot.

Bitch, seriously. TACOS.

I could make mom's awesome vegetable beef soup.

YOU GET YOUR BITCH ASS IN THAT KITCHEN AND MAKE SOME TACOS GOD DAMMIT.

What the heck, I'm going to try to make shredded beef tacos!

Jesus, *finally.*

Is it ridiculous to make shredded beef tacos from stew meat?  Maybe.  But here we are.  And I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Bonus Recipe alert:  The salsa verde is totally optional, but it's a pretty nice accompaniment, and it's easy.  It's good just used like a regular salsa with chips, too.  And I'm planning to use my leftover and some rotisserie chicken to make enchiladas verdes.  If you want to get tipsy with your tacos, Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale would be a fantastic pairing.

Pressure Cooker Shredded Beef Taco Filling

I envisioned this served on soft corn tortillas.  It was good that way, but most of us ended up liking the flour tortillas better.  The new little street taco tortillas that Mission makes were great.  I think it would be good with crunchy taco shells as well.

2 tsp. oil
1/2 a large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 cup beef broth
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. stew meat

Turn the pressure cooker to saute mode and add the oil.  Once the oil is hot, saute the onion until softened.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves and cook for a minute or two.  Pour in a little of the beef broth and scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pot.  Pour in the rest of the broth and stir in the salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Add the stew meat.  Put the lid on the pressure cooker and set to high pressure for 45 minutes.  Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure.  Serve as you see fit.  We topped with pickled onions and jalapenos, salsa verde (recipes below), monterey jack cheese, cotija cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

Pickled Onions and Jalapenos

1 large red onion, sliced
1 or 2 jalapenos, sliced
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar

Put the sliced onions and jalapenos in a bowl, or in two separate bowls if you live with wimps like me who can't handle jalapenos.  Pour the red wine vinegar, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the sugar is totally dissolved.  Pour the hot vinegar over the onions and jalapenos and cover with plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes.  You can make these ahead of time and chill them, or use them still warm.

Pressure Cooker Salsa Verde

1 tsp. oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 large onion, rough chopped
2 poblano peppers, stem and seeds removed
1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed, washed, and cut in half
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
1 tsp. sugar
salt

Turn the pressure cooker to saute mode and add the oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cumin and cook for a minute or two.  Add the onion, peppers, tomatillos, and water or broth.  Put the lid on the pot and set to high pressure for 15 minutes.  Allow a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.  Blend the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender.  Stir in the sugar and salt to taste.

Make Tomorrow Taco (Soup) Tuesday!

I have a marvelous soup recipe for you.  What I don't have is sparkling wit and insightful commentary.  No funny stories.  No relatable anecdotes.  I got nothing.  I drank 2 martinis and more than a full bottle of wine on Saturday night and I swear my brain is still fried.  I went out to the front of the restaurant I was at when they closed at 1 am to wait for my cab, reached into my purse and pulled out the half-full bottle of wine that my friend and I still had on our table when they closed the place down.  I don't even remember putting it there, and I'm pretty sure I broke the law by carrying it out of there.  But you better believe we drank it from the bottle while we sat on the curb and waited for our ride, because we are classy bitches.  You can take the girl outta north St. Louis county.... 

So, yeah.  I think I'm still recovering from that outing.  I was still functional enough to make this recipe perfectly on the first try, but that must have used up the last of my operational brain cells.  Therefore, bon appetit.  Hopefully I'll recover some semblance of writing ability in the near future.

 
By the way, I just want you to know, it's hard to take a good picture of soup.  Granted, I don't really take very good pictures of anything, but soup is particularly hard.  My husband and I both absolutely devoured this, and the best picture I could take makes it look a bowl of barf.  So pardon how unattractive this looks.  I promise it is very tasty.

Pressure Cooker Taco Soup with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Notes:  I used my 6 quart Instant Pot.  I call for fresh corn, but you could easily substitute canned or frozen corn.  I just love the crunch of the fresh stuff, and since it's still plentiful right now, I went for it.  I always fry (or sometimes bake) my own tortilla strips, but you could certainly use a bag of tortilla chips.  They don't hold up as well, but I understand what it's like to be busy. :)  Don't drain the cans of Rotel.  I used fire roasted, but choose any version you like.  Also, don't soak your beans.  Both the dried beans and the meat have a similar cooking time and will come out perfect together.

2 tsp. oil
half of a large onion, chopped
half of a large poblano pepper, diced
salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. round steak, cut into small (~1/2") cubes
2 (10 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel
1/2 lb. dried black beans
1/2 lb. dried pinto beans
4 cups water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn
2 ears of fresh corn on the cob, corn kernels cut off

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro
pinch of salt

Possible toppings:
shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips
diced avocado
chopped green onion
fresh lime wedges

For the cilantro-lime sour cream, combine the sour cream, lime zest, cilantro, and pinch of salt in a food processor and process until cilantro is completely chopped and incorporated.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the soup, turn the pressure cooker to saute mode and add the oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, poblano pepper, and a pinch of salt.  Cook until the onions and peppers are softened.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.  Add the round steak, Rotel (with its juices), beans, water, taco seasoning, and dressing mix.  Cook on high pressure for 55 minutes.  Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick release. 

Stir in the cream corn and fresh corn and heat through.  If you're adding frozen corn, you'll probably want to turn on saute mode to make sure it heats through.  If you're adding fresh or canned corn, the soup will probably already be hot enough to heat the corn without turning the pot back on.  Serve with the cilantro-lime sour cream and other desired toppings.

Taco 'Bout Yummy

Picture it: the kitchen table, taco Tuesday, 3 days ago.  Everyone is sick of ground beef and a packet of powdered orange stuff, but the love for tacos is definitely still there.  Because what weirdo doesn't love tacos?  So, what do you do?  You whip out your pressure cooker and throw together a delicious, homemade chicken taco filling, and suddenly you're a freaking superhero.

If there's anything I love more than a delicious, easy recipe, it's a delicious, easy recipe that makes enough for two meals.  This is really good leftover, so I make a fair amount at a time.  The possibilities for how you use it are nearly endless.  Besides the obvious tacos, you could use it as an enchilada filling, or pile it on top of rice and seasoned pinto beans in a bowl.  Heap it on a crusty roll with some cilantro and avocado crema to make a Mexican torta.  Or throw it into a large flour tortilla with some jack cheese, black beans, and corn, fold it in half, and cook it on a griddle for an awesome quesadilla.  There; you've got a menu for the whole week!  You're welcome.

Pressure Cooker Salsa Lime Chicken

If you were really in a hurry, I'm sure you could swap out the spice mixture for a pre-made taco seasoning, but I really like making it from scratch for that undeniable "homemade" taste.  If you want to get tipsy, grab a Dos Equis Amber.

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano

1/4 tsp. onion powder

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

2 Tbs. lime juice

1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa

Mix the first 9 ingredients together and set aside.  Put the chicken, lime juice, salsa, and spice mixture in the pressure cooker.  Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.  Remove the chicken with tongs or a slotted spoon and shred.  Add back as much of the salsa sauce mixture to the chicken as you want.  For tacos, I don't add back much at all because it makes the tacos really messy.  The chicken will still have great flavor.  If I'm making nachos or taco salads and the like, I add a lot of the sauce back.  Serve with whatever taco fixings you want.  Cilantro, sour cream, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and a squeeze of fresh lime are super yummy on soft tacos made from flour or corn tortillas.